Impossibility of a “Reverse Racism” Effect

• Author: Aaron Roussell,Kathryn Henne,Dale Willits,Karen S. Glover
• Published date: 01 February 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12289
• Date: 01 February 2019

SPECIAL ESSAY

REJOINDER

Impossibility of a “Reverse Racism” Effect

A Rejoinder to James, James, and Vila

Aaron Roussell

Portland State University

Kathryn Henne

University of Waterloo and The Australian National University

Karen S. Glover

California State University San Marcos

Dale Willits

Washington State University

Lois James, Stephen James, and Bryan Vila in their article “The Reverse Racism

Effect: Are Cops More Hesitant to Shoot Black Than White Suspects?” from the

May 2016 issue of Criminology & Public Policy suggested that a fear of adverse “legal

and social consequences” leads police officers to be more cautious in shooting decisions when

dealing with Blacks than with Whites, resulting in fewer errors and slower response times

in a shooting simulation study. The authors dubbed this the “reverse racism effect.” Given

the current political tension between communities of color and police, embodied in places

like Ferguson, MO, these claims are disconcerting. This rejoinder contests the research on

conceptual, theoretical, and methodological grounds. Although the article was originally

published with policy essay responses from Lorie Fridell (2016) and William Terrill (2016)

and an editorial introduction from Cynthia Lum (2016), none delivered the race-based

critique that the conclusions of the article demand. We argue the crucial flaw of the article

is a substantive lack of knowledge of race/racism by James et al.,1leading them to make the

unsubstantiated claim of “reverse racism.” We thus join other scholars who have criticized

criminology’s engagement with race/racism (Covington, 1995, 2010; Potter, 2013; Russell,

1992, 1998) and thank the editors of Criminology & Public Policy for this opportunity.

Direct correspondence to Aaron Roussell, Department of Sociology, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751,

Portland, OR 97207-0751 (e-mail: roussell@pdx.edu).

1. As other scholars have elaborated, race is an indicator of inequality and cannot be separated from

racism (Goldberg, 1997). We use “race/racism” to reflect their interconnected relationship.

DOI:10.1111/1745-9133.12289 C2017 American Society of Criminology E5

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 18 rIssue 1